Safety appliance for elevators.



A. c. MOHNIKE. 4 SAFETY APPLIANCE FOB. ELEVATORS. APPLICATION IILED NOV.14, 190B. RENEWED SEPT. 7, 1910.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

4 SHEETS-3HEET 1.

/NVENTOH I w/rlv ss s;

rm: NORRIS PETERS co, wuumuwm n. c.

Patented N0v.1,1910.

4 EHEETB BHEBT 4- A. G. MOHNIKE. SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ELEVATORS.APPLICATION Hum 11011.14, 190s. nmmwnn 93M. '1, 1910.

. w "A TIOHNEY THE ucnnu Prrnu can, wAsMmawN, Q C.

ALBERT C. MOHNIKE, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application filed November 14, 1908, Serial N 0. 462,560. RenewedSeptember 7, 1910. Serial N 0. 580,925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT C. MOHNIKE, a subject of Germany, and aresident of Yonkers, in the county of VVestchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in-SafetyAppliances for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in safety appliances forelevators, and it consists in the novel features, arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

The object of the invention is a provide an eflicient means forarresting an elevator car at any point in an elevator shaft in suchmanner that shock to the car and passengers is avoided.

To this end my invention comprises a safety-plank carried by and belowthe car by means which will permit, when said plank is arrested, themovement of the car toward it, suitable means being provided whereby themovement of the car toward the safety-plank will be against a cushion,and whereby, also, in the preferred construction, the movement of thecar toward the safetyplank will cause additional clamping devices toengage the elevator guides for aiding in stopping the car. I alsopreferably construct the safety plank with a spring-supported portion sothat said portion ma become cushioned against the thrust of thecushioning devices supported by it and acted on by the descendin car.

The invention Wlll be'fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away and partly insection, of an elevator shaft, an elevator car therein and asafety-plank connected therewith, the car and safety plank beingconstructed and equipped with ,the mechanism embodying my invention;Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly broken away, of a cable andgovernor mechanism with which my invention is employed and which is ofwell-known construction; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding with. Fig. 1 butillustrating a modified construction of a portion of my invention; Fig.4 is an enlarged central vertical section through the safety plank andcushioning device supported thereby for the car; Fig. 5 is an enlargedside elevation, partly. broken away and partly in section, of a ortionof the elevator guides and car, this gure corresponding with theconstruction shown in Fig. 1 but being on a larger scale; Fig. 6 is aview corresponding with Fig. 5 but illustrating a modification of someof the details thereof; Fig. 7 is a top view of Fig. 6 and is presentedto illustrate more clearly the clamping devices connected with the carfor engagin in case of necessity, the elevator gu1des;1*ig. 8 is anenlarged side elevation of the safety plank shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is atop view, partly in section, of the same; and Fig. 10 is an enlargeddetached end view pf the same, taken from the left hand end of In thedrawings, 15 designates an elevator car, 3 the usual elevator guides, 4the safety plank, 5 a transverse frame carried by the lower end of thecar, 1 a vertical cylinder supported on and carried by the safety plank4, and 2 a piston-rod carrying at its inner end a piston within the saidcylinder.

At the upper end of the elevator car 15 is a transverse frame 6 to whichthe cables 16 are secured and. which frame carries at its ends thecustomar shoes 17 which engage the guides 3. t the lower sides of theends of the transverse frame 5 are also provided customary guiding shoes18 which engage and travel on the guides 3. The transverse frame 5 shownin Fig. 3 is of usual construction and arrangement, and the shoes 18carried thereby are illustrated in their customary position. In thepreferred embodiment of the invention, however, it is my purpose to addto the frame 5 means for clamping the guides 3, and these means I haveillustrated in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7 as operable from the piston-rod 2, itbeing intended that when the safety-plank 4 becomes arrested and the car15 settles downwardly on and with the rod 2, the resistance of thelatter shall set said clamping means.

The ends of the safety plank 4 are rovided with means for clamping theguldes 3, and said plank is preferably formed of two parallel separatedchannel sections 19 connected together at the ends of their upper sidesby plates 20 and at their inner sides by vertical channels 21, asindicated by the dotted lines at the left hand portions of Figs. 8 and9. The extreme outer ends of the channels 19 are mounted on the verticalbolt rods 22, which are of greater depth than the channels and held attheir upper and. lower ends in laterally extending or side portions ofthe castings 12 which are adapted to the guides 3 and at their upper andlower ends have inwardly extend ing arms 24 which are one above theother, the upper arms 24 being extended overthe plates and the lowerarms 24 being normally a suitable distance below the lower plane of thechannels 19. The arms 24 are connected together at the ends of thesafetyplank by the central bolts 25 which pass through the plates 20 andhave upon them between the said plates and lower arms 24, the coiledcushioning springs 26. The springs 26 at the ends of the safety planknormally support the channels 19 above the lower arms 24 of the castings12 and afford a yielding resistance against the downward movement ofsaid channels. At its end portions the safety-plank is provided withmeans for gripping the guides 3 and these means,as more clearlyillustrated in Fig. 10, comprise, at each casting 12, a verticallymovable bar 27 operable by means of a lever 28 and normally supported onpins 29 free of the guides When the lever 28, which is pivoted at 30, isturned downwardly at its outer end, the toe 31 at the inner end thereofturns upwardly for the purpose of elevating the bar 27 and to ef feetthe binding action of said bar against the guide 3. The bar 27 has aninclined or wedge-like outer edge and when moved upwardly rides againsta ball 32 confined in a runway 33 which has an inclined surface. Whenthe bar 27 moves upwardly it causes the ball 32 to ride upwardly againstthe inclined surface of its runway and thereby the bar 27 is compelledto move laterally against the guide 3. The ball 32 is normally supportedin its lower position on a pin 34, as shown in Fig. 10. The lever 28during the usual or safe travel of the elevatorfcar and safety-plank ismaintained in its inoperative position by means of the coiled spring 35arranged on the rod 36 which is pivoted to said lever 28 and thenceextends downwardly through an aperture in a bar 37 secured to the lowerend of the casting 12 and projecting outwardly therefrom at a rightangle to the guide 3. The lever 28 is connected, with a cable 38 ofusual character for effecting its downward movement at the proper time,and said lever is also connected with a normally slack resetting cable39 by which, when desired, said lever may be moved to its initialposition by the occupant of the elevator car 15, said cable, as shown inFig. 1, having its upper end projected into the car. There are' twocables 38, one for the lever 28 at the left hand end of the safety-plankand one for the lever 28 at the right hand end of said plank, and thesetwo cables pass over pulleys arranged side by side on the right hand bar37 (Fig. 9) and thence pass upwardly along the side. of the car (Fig. 1)and between pulleys 40 on the car to the bar 7 carried by the endlesscable 41 which travels with the car as usual, said cables 38 beingsecured to said bar 7 so that they may be pulled by the cable upon thenecessity arising for the levers 28 to be turned downwardly to set theclamp-bars 27 against the guides 3 for arresting the safety-plank. v

The cables 38, bar 7 and cable 41 are known features in this art and arenot separately claimed herein. The cable 41 1s employed in connectionwith a centrifugal governor 42 and clamping eccentrics 43 operablethereby, as customary.

It is not broadly new to provide an elevator car with a safety plankhaving clampmg devices at its ends, but a safety plank of the specialconstruction presented herein is believed to be new.

In the example of my invention illustrated in the drawings thesafety-plank is connected with the car so as to allow the car to descendto a limited extent after said plank may become arrested, by the carcushioning devices comprising the cylinder 1 and rod 2, the upper end ofthe latter being connected with the frame 5 at the bottom of the car andthe cylinder being secured to the safety-plank. In the constructionpresented herein the cylinder 1 extends downwardly between the channel'-sections 19 and is secured thereto by means of a collar 44.

The upper end of the piston-rod 2 may be rigidly secured to the frame 5,as shown in Fig. 3, or have a limited yielding connection with the carso as to operate safetyclamps at the ends of the frame 5, as shown inFigs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, should the safety-plank 4 become arrested and thecar descend toward it. In either construction the cylinder 1 willperform its duty of cushioning the car, and hence while I prefer toemploy the clamps at the ends of the frame 5, I do not confine myinvention in every instance thereto.

The cushioning cylinder is illustrated, as to its details ofconstruction, in Fig. 4, and said cylinder comprises an outer shell andan inner cylinder 45 which is fastened to the lower head 46 of the maincylinder and formed with numerous perforations 47 which decrease in sizefrom the upper to the lower end of said cylinder 45. Between the outershell or main cylinder and the outer wall of the inner cylinder 45 isformed an annular chamber 48 which is in communication through all ofthe apertures 47 with the interior of the cylinder 45. The piston rod 2carries at its lower end a suitable piston 49 adapted to the innercylinder 45, and said rod 2 passes through the upper inner cylinder 45.

-ilower end of the piston.

head .50 of the main cylinder and is prothe piston 49 from the upper endof the A coiled spring 52 is interposed between the collar 51 and head.50 to :cushionthe rodi2at the termination ".ofritsup stroke. I preferto use oil in the CLlSlliOtIl-illg cylinderi as the checking medium forthe piston 49. V'hen "the piston 49 is in .irtsupper posit-ionthe oilwill fill the cylinder 45 and chamber 48 up to about the In the event ofthe safety plank being arrested with the car l=5 in-motion, thecushioning cylinder being carried by said plank will become arrested andthe car will drive the piston rod 2 and piston 49 downwardly into theinner cylinder "45, said piston moving against the oil :and driving thesame outwardly through the apertures 47 into the chamber 48 throughwhich the oil will rise and flow into the open upper end of saidcylinder The apertures "47 decrease in diameter toward the lower-end ofthe cylinder so that a gradually decreasing flow of oil may take p'lacefrom the cylinder 45 during the descent :of the piston 49, the purposeof this being to effect -a gradual retardationof said i-ston and theelevator car connected with at. The cushioning effect of the 'oil in thecylinder 45 is augmented by the cushioning effect created by the springs26 supporting the movable portion of the safety plank to which thecushioning cylinder is secured.

-O-n the upstroke of the piston 49 the oil whidh flowed into thecylinder 45 .above it will be crowded-out from the said cylinderQthIOLlPfl'l-ilhfi apertures 47 and the open upper helm 1'0? ing intothe chamber 48 and through the said cylinder, the outflowing oilpassapertures 47 below the piston 49 into the "cylinder 45.

I'do not limit myself to the special con- --struction of cushioningcylinder shown in ig. 4, since various forms of cushioning cylinders arewell known, but I consider the construction presented in Fig. 4 as noveland the most desirable one for the purpose known to me. If preferred,the cylinder in addition to being secured to the safety-plank by thecollar 44, may be connected at its lower end with a strap 53 (Fig. 3)connected at its ends to the channel section members of the safetyplank.

In Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, I illustrate the frame 5 carried at the bottomof the car as provided with clamping jaws 54 for engagbecome arrested.The jaws 54 are mounted on the vertical pivots-55 and formed withinwardly extending memberswhich, when spread outwardly, close the outerends of said aws a'gainst the guides 3, as may be readily understood onreference to Fig. 7. The clamping aws 54 will be provided with springs56 for normally retaining said jaws free-of the guides 3, andintermediate the up- :per selld of the piston rod 2 and the inner endsof the clamping jaws 54 will be provided suitable means whereby on thede scent of the car toward the safety plank, the inner members .of :saidjaws will be forced outwardly in a direction from each other so as toeffect the binding .of the :outer ends of said jaws against the guides3. In Figs. 1

and 5 I illustrate :the upper end of the piston rod 2 :as equipped witha collar 8 to which the lower. ends of links 10 are pivoted and whichlinks at their upper ends are pivoted to rods 57 carrying attheir outerends wedge heads 58 entered slightly between rollers 59 carried bytheinner endsof the jaw members. When the car descends toward the safetyplank, the piston rod 2 will be resisted by the oil in the cushioningcylinder or such other cushion as may be employed, and this resistance,gradually exerted, will cause the car :to descend a little more rapidlythrough a limited space than the piston :rod, :and thereby the links 10will take a more nearly horizontal position than that they normally haveand drive the rods 57 .and wedges 5Soutwardly in oppositedirections,said wedges at such time moving between the rollers 59 of the clampingjaws and compelling :the outer ends of said jaws to close against theguides 3.

It might be desirable, if the elevator car became arrested between thefloors of the building, for the occupant of the car to be :able torelease the clamping jaws 54 from the guides 3, and to this end Iprovide a threaded hole in' the floor of the car, as shown in Fig. 5, toreceive a long screw which maybe screwed downwardly through said flooragainst the upper endof the rod 2 -or the head 60 thereon, for drivingsaid rod downwardly and effecting through such downward movement theresetting of the links 10,1'ods 57 and wedges 58 to their normal orinitial position, said wedges then withdrawing from between the rollers59 of the clamping jaws and permitting the springs 56 to turn said jawsfree of the guides 3.

In the event that it should not be desired to employ the links 10connected with the upper end of the piston rod, said rod may, as shownin Fig. 6, be provided at its upper end with a wedge-shaped head 9adapted on the descent of the car to enter between rollers 61 carried atthe inner adjacent ends of rods 62 having wedge heads 63 on their outerends for actuating the clamping jaws 54. hen the car descends againstthe head 9 on the rod 2, the rods 62 will be driven outwardly and thewedges 63 will set the clamps 54 against the guides 3. In the nor- &

inal condition of the car and its parts the rods 62 will be held attheir inner positions by means of springs 64 thereon.

Figs. 6 and 7 show an alternative construction of mechanism for enablingthe upper end of the piston rod'2 to set the clamps 54 against theguides 3, and it is obvious that the connection of the clamps 54: withthejpiston rod may be varied in many ways not required to be specified.

My invention comprises in its broader scope the car and safety-plankwith cushioning means carried thereby for permitting the car to descendto a limited extent after the safety plank has become arrested, and incarrying out my invention I prefer the use of a checking cylindercarried by the plank and having its piston rod connected with the car. Ido not desire, however, to limit the invention to the special cushioningdevices shown, .eXcept as said devices may be specified in the claims. a

My invention also comprises the safety plank having its clamping,members and connected to the car by means which will permit the car tolower to a limited extent after the safety plank has become arrested, inconnection with clamping devices" carried by the lower end of the carfor engaging the guides with a gradually increasing pressure during thedescent of the car toward the safety plank.

My invention also embraces the novel construction of safety plankhereinbefore described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-planksuspended below the car and extending parallel with the same across theelevator-shaft, guide rails for the car and the ends of said plank,clamp mecha nisms carried at the ends of said plank for engaging saidguide-rails when the car attains an undue speed, for arresting saidplank, a traveling cable speed control mechanism operable by the car,connections operatively connecting said clamp mechanisms with saidtraveling-cable for enabling said cable by a pull on said connnectionsto set the clamp mechanisms against said guides when the car attains anundue speed, and cushioning means for gradually arresting the car on itsdescent toward said plank comprising a liquid-cylinder secured to saidplank, a piston-rod connected with the car, and a piston carried by saidrod to be cushioned by the liquid in said cylinder; substantially as setforth.

2. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-plankconnect-ed therewith, means for arresting said plank when the carattains an undue speed, cushioning means for gradually arresting the caron its descent toward said plank, safety-clamps carried by the car, andmeans operable from the cushioning means for setting said clamps on thedescent of the car toward said plank; substantially as set forth.

8. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safetyplankconnected therewith, means for arresting said plank when the car attainsan undue speed, and cushioning means for gradually arresting the car onits descent toward said plank, said plank having a cushioned sectionsupporting said cushioning means; substantially as set forth.

4. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-planksuspended below the car and extending parallel with the'same across theelevator-shaft, guide rails for the car and the ends of said plank,clamp mecha nisms carried at the ends of said plank for engaging saidguide-rails when the car attains an undue speed, for arresting saidplank, a traveling-cable speeds-control mechanism operable by the car,connections operatively connecting said clamp mechanisms with saidtraveling cable for enabling said cable by a pull on said connections toset the clamp mechanisms against said guides when the car attains anundue speed, and cushioning means for gradually arresting the car on itsdescent toward said plank comprising a cushioning cylinder secured tosaid plank below the car and having its piston rod projected upwardly tobe driven downwardly by the car when the latter descends toward saidplank, thereby cushioning the car; substantially as set forth.

5. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-plankconnected therewith, means for arrest-ing said plank when the carattains an undue speed, and a cushioning cylinder carried by said plankand having its piston rod projected upwardl to be driven downwardly bythe car when the latter descends toward said plank, said plank'having acushioned section supporting said cylinder; substantially as set forth.

6. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-planksuspended below the car and extending parallel with the same across theelevator-shaft, guide rails for the car and the ends of said plank,clamp mechanisms carried at'the ends of said plank for engaging saidguide-rails when the car attains an undue speed, for arresting saidplank, a traveling-cable speed-control mechanism operable by the car,connections operatively connecting said clamp mechanisms with saidtraveling-cable for enabling Said cable by a pull on said connectionstoset the clamp mechanisms against said guides when the car attains anundue speed, and cushioning means for gradually arresting the car on itsdescent toward said plank comprising a liquid-cylinder secured to saidplank, a piston-rod connected withthe car, and a piston carried by saidrod to be cushioned by the liquid in said cylinder, combined withreleasing means connected with said clamp mechanisms and extending intothe car for enabling an occupant of the car to release said clampmechanisms from said guide-rails; substantially as set forth.

7. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-plankconnected therewith, means for arresting said plank when the car attainsan undue speed, a cushioning cylinder carried by said plank and havingits piston-rod projected upwardly to be driven downwardly by the carwhen the latter descends toward said plank, safety-clamps carried by thecar, and means intermediate said clamps and said rod for setting saidclamps on said descent of the car; substan tially as set forth.

8. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-plankconnected therewith, means for arresting said plank when the car attainsan undue speed, a cushioning cylinder carried by said plank and havingits piston-rod projected upwardly to be driven downwardly by the carwhen the latter descends toward said plank, pairs of pivotally I mountedsafety clamps carried by the car,

wedges to be driven between the inner ends of said clamps for settmg thelatter against the elevator guides on said descent of the car, and meansconnected with said rod for actuating said wedges when the car descendstoward said plank; substantially as set forth.

9. In safety appliances for elevator cars, the car, a safety-plankconnected therewith, means for arresting said plank when the car attainsan undue speed, a cushioning cylinder carried by said plank and havingits piston-rod projected upwardly to be driven downwardly by the carwhen the latter descends toward said plank, pairs of pivotally mountedsafety clamps carried by the car, wedges to be driven between the innerends of said clamps for setting the latter against the elevator guideson said descent of the car, rods connected with said wedges andextending toward each other therefrom, and links conneetin the innerends of said wedge-rods witli said piston-rod, whereby when the cardescends toward said plank said links will actuate said wedges;substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of NewYork, this 13th day of November A. D. 1908.

ALBERT C. MOHNIKE.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR MARION, CHAS. C. GILL.

